Building construction.



C. D. SALFIBLD. BUILDING ooNsTRUcTIoN.

APPLILLQTIONv FILED MAY-31, 1910.

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CARL D. SALFIELD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Application filed May 31, 1910. Serial No. 564,122.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL D. SALFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Building Construction, of which the following` is a specifica-tion.

My invention relates to improvements in building construction.

It is especially designed to protect such cracks or openings as appear in dierent parts of a building against the enlargement for and entrance of vermin, such as rats, mice, roaches and ants.

It consists in the combination of parts and details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view showing my invention as applied to a building. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing its application to the chimney portion of a building.

It is a well known fact that rats and mice obtain free access to different parts of buildings and through the partitions by gnawing and enlarging small cracks or openings, such as may appear by the shrinkage of portions of the building which leaves open cracks, which give the vermin an apportunity to gnaw and commence operations, and they will soon make a hole large enough to allow their bodies to pass.

In my invention I employ strips of impervious material A, which are disposed in convenient relation with any portion where there are liable to be cracks or open joints.

As shown in the present case, the strips A are formed of sheets of impervious material bent at right angles and having their horizontal portions A fixed upon the joists 2. In case of flooring being laid on these joists, as shown at 3, the outer floor board rests upon the horizontal portion A of the strip, and its outer edge against the vertical upright portion of the nogging pieces 4:. As these edges are the ones which are most liable to open the cracks by shrinkage, it will be seen that such edges are absolutely protected from access by the vermin. These strips may be secured to the joists Q, or to the nogging pieces 4, in any suitable or desired way.

It will be understood that where the vertical studding 5 contacts with the wall plates, the strips may have extensions, as at 6, vertically along the studding and, if desired, the strips may also have extensions 7, which fold down upon the surface of the nogging pieces l with their edges extending o-ut to form contact with and close any joints between the outside wall or sheathing and the nogging pieces.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the device as disposed with relation to a chimney, where the horizontal portion A of the strip enters the space between the superposed rows of bricks, and the vertical portion extends upwardly against the wall to which the chimney is contiguous, or to be fastened to the plate and studding, as shown at 6 and 7 in Fig. l. The extension of the horizontal portion A iits the other parts of the building, as previously described. By the use of these strips I am enabled to prevent openings through which vermin may pass or which may serve to admit drafts of air which would carry etlluvia in some cases, and which would materially assist in propagating a fire, if such should occur.

Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is-

l. The combination with the floors, joists, nogging pieces and studding of a building, of continuous metal sheets bent with angles to inclose the inner faces of the wall plates, and having extensions along the studding and beneath the floor boards.

2. Continuous, rigid, impenetrable, metal sheets bent to inclose the inner faces of the nogging pieces, having vertical extensions to t the studding and horizontal extensions beneath the floor, and adapted to form a permanent part of the structure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL D. SALFIELD.

M. Coon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

